Page 773

Rather than answering, Hector merely leaned on the nearest wall for support.

‘Huh,’ said Garovel. ‘Um. Okay. I’m guessing you don’t intend to tell her how you feel.’

‘Of course not. Are you kidding me?’

‘That’s fine, then. If you don’t plan on confessing, then there’s really nothing to be freaking out about, is there?’

Hector squinted and scratched his forehead.

‘Just remain calm and collected. She’s not going to figure it out unless you tell her, and it’s not like I’m going to tell her, either. Your secret is perfectly safe. Just remember, you’ve dealt with many high-pressure situations before. You can handle a normal conversation with Lynn.’

‘Uh... you’re not gonna try to convince me to confess? That’s what everyone says to do, isn’t it? Don’t drag things out, ‘cuz it just gets... er... more painful over time or some shit like that?’

‘Well. Ideally, you would do that as soon as possible and see what happens, but--and you can correct me if I’m wrong about this--but I suspect that a physical relationship with someone would be a very big deal for you. It’s a big deal for most people, obviously; I’m just saying it’d be even more so for you.’

‘Er...’

‘Because you’re just such a special snowflake, Hector.’

‘Fuck you...’

The reaper laughed again. ‘You understand what I’m saying, though, right? You’re very young, and so is she. And given your social difficulties, I wouldn’t want you to rush into anything. You can if you want to, though. Just let me know, and I’ll advise you as best I can in that regard.’

‘Y-you’re talking like I don’t even have to worry about being rejected...’

‘Oh, rejection would make things so much simpler. Hector, if she rejected you, yes, it would suck, but then you could move on and stop worrying about your feelings for her, because you’d know that nothing could ever come of them.’

‘Eh... I don’t think it’d be that easy for me, Garovel...’

‘I think you’d be surprised. Rejection is very straightforward. No one likes it, but it’s way less complicated than acceptance.’

Page 772

‘That wasn’t so bad,’ said Garovel.

Hector destroyed his helm and rubbed his face.

The repairs to this old antechamber had come along nicely. It was mainly just simple wood and stone, but Hector didn’t think anything fancier would have suited him. He was mildly surprised to find no one immediately around.

‘Hmm,’ said Garovel, his skull twitching to the side. ‘It seems those weren’t our only guests. Prince Meriwether is here.’

‘What? What’s he doing here? And why would he show up unannounced?’

‘And there’s someone else... someone I can’t quite... Oh, wait, no. That’s Lynn.’

Hector froze up.

‘Her weird aura is like a fog. I can’t pinpoint her location. I just know that she’s around here somewhere. She’s probably with the prince, though. I doubt she’d be wandering around on her--’ Garovel stared at him. ‘Hector? You okay there, buddy?’

‘Lynn’s really here? Why would she--? Agh... You’re sure?’

‘Mmhmm.’

He could feel himself already beginning to panic. He started pacing between the room’s pair of wide staircases. ‘What do I do? Oh no, oh fuck...’

‘Alright, Hector, what’s going on? Is this gonna be a constant thing with you and Lynn?’

‘Uh... mgh...’

‘Oh, c’mon. Don’t start this hesitation-business with me again. We’re past that, aren’t we? Just tell me.’

‘Ah... ergh...’

‘Do you want me to guess? We could turn it into a game. Quack if your problem with her involves a duck-billed platypus in some way.’

‘Garovel, what the--?’

‘Ponies! She told you she hates ponies, and now you don’t think you can be friends with her anymore! I’m right, aren’t I?! Man, I’m good at this!’

‘You’re an asshole...’

‘Hector. Obviously, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. And since you’re about to go talk to her, now might be a good time to ask me for advice. Unless you’d rather handle it on your own, that is.’

‘Y-you... I... ugh. Y-you can’t tell anyone. Ever.’

‘Okay.’

‘I mean it, Garovel. You can’t. If you do... I’ll... fucking... I don’t know--just don’t!’

‘Alright, geez. What, do you have a crush on her or something?’

Hector’s brain decided to stop letting him form words. His face flushed red, and he had to avert his eyes.

For a moment, the reaper just stared at him awkwardly. ‘Oh.’ Another beat passed. ‘Seriously?’

Page 771

‘Wow, look at ‘em all,’ said Garovel. ‘I guess it was only a matter of time until people found out that Warrenhold has a new owner.’

‘Shit shit shit shit.’

‘Relax, they haven’t spotted you yet. And hey, at least they’re not too scared to ask you for an interview.’

‘Agh...’

‘Y’know, you could just go up and talk to them.’

‘Fuck no!’

‘C’mon, it’s only a few cameras and potentially millions of people watching your every move.’

‘Fuck you!’

‘Alright, alright,’ laughed Garovel. ‘Then just treat the cameras the same way you treat guns.’

‘That... that’s a good idea.’

‘Of course it is. My ideas are always good.’

Hector shifted his grip on the rucksack over his shoulder. He’d brought it with him today in order to hold a change of clothes along with the hat and mustache he’d been wearing earlier. He took a deep breath and started toward the central building’s front entrance.

As soon as they noticed him approaching, the reporters crowded around and stuck microphones up to his helm, asking so many simultaneous questions that he couldn’t hear any single one clearly.

When he clapped iron around their cameras, everyone went abruptly quiet. To their credit, however, that wasn’t enough to deter them for very long.

“Mr. Goffe, why have you come to Gray Rock?”

“He’s a lord now, you idiot. Lord Goffe, what do you have to say to the people who still believe you are a criminal?”

“Can you give us your personal accounting of the events of the Calman High Massacre?”

“Imbecile! Don’t ask him that!”

“Lord Goffe, what is the nature of your relationship with the royal family?”

‘Y’know, you could just tell them to get off your land,’ said Garovel.

Hector considered that, even opened his mouth to do so, but unsurprisingly, he struggled to say anything at all. After a few more moments of listening to their bickering noise, he decided to just push through and go inside. He annihilated the metal around their cameras right before he closed the tall door behind him and barricaded it with a wall of iron. He could still hear their muffled shouts from the other side.